It's been years since I've blogged, and no one reads this anymore, but I need an outlet to express myself and my posterity that won't be judged, "liked," or whatever...so here I go again.

I'm passionate about kids. All kids. And until every kid has access to the same education, aspirations, and people believing in them in the same way, things aren't equal in this world.

And maybe equality is not what we should strive for. Maybe it should be EQUITY, which is the quality of being fair and impartial. Equality is treating everyone the same. Equity is taking differences into account so everyone has a chance to succeed.  The first one sounds fair, the second one IS fair. Kids are born into all different situations, but every kid born has the same potential but not the same privilege. Until those of us born with privilege recognize it and then realize our accomplishments are at least partially because of that, nothing will change.

I find it interesting that we make accommodations for special needs, but we need to make accommodations for kids who didn't have the same privilege as others. Most of it is race. Being born and raised in Utah, I had very little exposure to people from different cultures, and people of different races. I had no idea. Racism isn't just about race, it's about power and who has access to it. Systems have been in place for so many years that hold people back.

I can't imagine what it would be like to worry that my girls will be followed by security in a store, walk down the street and be worried about police assuming they are up to no good, having nearly every Barbie, baby doll, and princess not reflect their skin color, and listening and seeing leaders and teachers who are predominantly not of their skin color.

And can we talk about dance?  Having tights and shoes that don't match skin color, having very few dance role models who look like them (Although I am endlessly grateful for the two teachers I have who are two of the greatest people I've met in all my life, but also grateful they are someone ALL kids but especially kids of color can aspire to), going to a studio that has a few kids their color, but ultimately not reflecting the diversity in the community because not everyone has the background or finances to provide the opportunity of dance.

So that's privilege. I have the privilege because of nothing I did to not have these worries. And I'm pissed about it. But I recognize it, and I will fight for every kid until every kid has access to the same opportunity.

So when Kaepernick kneels during the anthem, I respect it. I am passionately patriotic, but his call to equity and just people SEEING what is happening is something I support whole-heartedly.  So I'll keep doing my thing but hopefully doing it better and better because every kid deserves the same opportunities. And I'll keep learning and learning because I was sheltered for much of my life living in a world where the most diversity I got was the non-Mormon kids who suffered in a 97% Mormon school. It doesn't come close to the kids I see now born with the exact same potential but not the same opportunities.